The Working Poor / The Price of The American Dream
This is a documentary about the working poor in America. It is almost an hour long. The hourly rate may vary from state to state. (Some states are far more expensive than others.) Here in North Carolina, I think of the people earning anywhere from minimum wage up to around $20 per hour when I think of the working poor. I base my numbers on the 20 years I worked for the Employment Security Commission of North Carolina. These are people who truly live paycheck to paycheck. Even a small disruption can cause a $20 crisis.
The documentary follows a worker in fast food customer service, Germania, a construction laborer, Joe, and some high skilled union workers who found themselves facing a permanent layoff. I think it does a pretty good job of depicting their struggles. but what compelled me to write today is all they left out. Germania and Joe are both homeless on opposite sides of the country. Not only that, they have families to support. Joe is married and has a little daughter. Germania has several children and a relative to support. We will come to the union workers later.
Germania had a decent paying job in an unnamed northern state but nonetheless decided to move to Florida. The only reason given in the documentary is that she wanted a “new start.” The father of her children is not really mentioned and plays no part in their lives it seems. Perhaps she was fleeing a domestic violence situation, living in a bad area or something else? I am not here to judge why she left. I'm more interested in the other problems she faces. I see several. At only 25 she is already obese and a smoker. If nothing changes, she may be looking at a myriad of related health problems, things such as heart disease, a higher risk for strokes and different types of cancer. Now, add to this our lovely for profit healthcare system. She works 2 to 3 different jobs, none of which are likely to provide decent healthcare insurance coverage. Her children are also overweight. I don't say this to be mean or judgmental but to remind everyone of the relationship between poverty and obesity. I think Germania is truly doing the best she can. She is stuck on a metaphorical hamster wheel. Between her jobs and caring for her children, she has little time to look for a better job much less get some kind of retraining for higher paying work. A few other things I think the documentary left out are the risks associated with living in cheap motels and subsidized apartments, the potential for violent crime and exposure to illicit drugs. Let's also not forget poorer performing schools and lack of access to good daycare for her children. If things are left unchanged, I think it's possible the cycle will just repeat. Joe finds himself in a similar situation in Seattle, Washington.
The documentary does not give us a good idea of Joe's marketable skill sets. I may be wrong but I assume he is more of a cleanup and laborer type then a highly skilled carpenter or mason. His wife has similar skills to Germania but is also unable to find any work. They have a small daughter who is just beginning to walk. They find themselves living in a small tent city and there is no explanation given for how they pay for food. I would assume it's charity. They both could use training for a better job. This is still very difficult even if the training is paid for. They still have to pay for food as well as daycare for their daughter. The only reason given for their relocation from California to Washington State is seeking better opportunities. Joe's physical work has kept him from becoming obese. Both his wife and daughter are overweight. Again, I don't see this to be mean or judgmental but to point it out as a consequence of deep poverty. Neither seems to have a drug problem and there is no mention of a criminal background which can both be large barriers to employment. However, not having a stable address to put on an application is seen by many employers as a huge red flag. Based on the documentary, I assume neither one has a driver's license. That's another barrier to employment. Again, a possible solution is job retraining but they still have to pay for housing, food and other living expenses while going through said training. What about the skilled workers facing a permanent layoff?
The last segment of our documentary follows several skilled union workers in Pennsylvania who are facing permanent layoffs from well-paying jobs. I don't mean to be harsh but multinational conglomerations are not noted for caring about their workers. These massive corporations are legally bound to maximize profits for their shareholders. If cutting labor costs increases profits, that's what they will do. I think it's safe to assume there are no other employers in their area who need these skill sets. Unlike Joe and Germania, The union workers may have a little time for a job retraining via their severance. The question is, training for what? Without similar wages they too will fall out of the middle class. Maybe there is another well paying employer in the area who can take them on with just a little retraining?
What are some possible answers?
One answer is a minimum wage that actually keeps up with what it costs to live. Since this documentary was made a few years ago, wages have gone up some. Also, the cost of living has gone up. one thing to keep in mind is the baby boomer generation is in the process of retiring out of the workforce. Soon there will be more jobs than there are people to fill them. This should help push wages up even more. Job retraining is great but there needs to be a mechanism for helping people cover basic living expenses while they are being retrained. Another idea I would like to hear more about is guaranteed employment. Instead of collecting unemployment checks, the government becomes the employer of last resort. They also have to pay enough so people can live in a safe and healthy environment. Maybe in some cases tie this into employment training.
Employers need to also do their part. creating an entire underclass not only leads to people who cannot afford your products but to an unstable society which is also very bad for business. companies need to face a cost or laying off high skilled workers only to increase profits. Maybe one can justify laying people off in a major downturn to keep the company afloat but that's a debate on a case by case basis. Companies would do well to remember how expensive high turnover can be. Paying people well can indeed help the bottom line grow.
We as individuals also have a role to play. I think the best way to stay out of poverty is to have high demand, high paying, marketable skills. It's no longer as simple as going and getting “the right degree.” We live in a time of rapid change. So the best thing to do is always be learning and paying close attention to what's going on in the economy around us. Financial literacy, economics and where to get new skills training should all be taught in high school. Of course it's okay to want a new start or seek better opportunities elsewhere but please do the homework that goes with these ideas. use the internet and find out what really is available in the place you want to go as well as pay rates and the cost of living. Yes, it's fun to entertain the idea of up and leaving but be smart about it.
